East Bay

For this week’s Scenes of the City, Burning Man cofounder John Law, who referred to himself as the "Quasimodo” of the Tribune Tower, takes us to the top of downtown Oakland's 305-foot Tribune Tower, which is steeped in history and mystery.

Though twerking might be dead on the dance floor at your nearest 18-&-over club, it's alive and popping at Hot Spot Yoga Oakland. The recently opened yoga/fitness studio now offers last year's most popular dance move in convenient barre class form.

For this week's Escape from SF, we head to nearby Anthony Chabot Park. Just 20 minutes outside of Oakland, the 5,067-acre park offers year-round camping and miles upon miles of hiking and riding trails (horses and bikes).

Just because it's wet outside doesn't mean you have to stay holed up inside your apartment. We rounded up some of the best indoor activities around Oakland to motivate you to explore on days when the weather has you dreading the outdoors.

First Friday is the perfect time to get to know Oakland. It’s a swirling, lively collection of open galleries, events, and food trucks. Every bar is jumping, every stage is occupied, and every part of the city is ready to be seen. Take BART or a Lyft instead of trying to park, carry cash for the staggering food truck lineup, and bring along your sense of adventure.

Once just a swampy divide between downtown and East Oakland, Lake Merritt, nexus of the Grand Lake neighborhood, is now a destination-worthy cultural hub, thanks to a recent $122 million renovation. With fresh green expanses, a revamped bird sanctuary, and one heck of a beautified lagoon, you’ll come for the nature but end up staying for the food.